Penn State Altoona vs. New College of Florida

Should I go to Penn State Altoona or New College of Florida? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Altoona or New College of Florida is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Penn State Altoona vs. New College of Florida comparison
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Overview

Penn State Altoona New College of Florida
Location Altoona, PA Sarasota, FL
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 2,421 732
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #618
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu ncf.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona New College of Florida
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $5,227
Tuition (Out of State) $26,112 $27,159
Room & Board $13,820 $13,805
Avg Net Price $22,506 $8,368
Avg Grant Aid $8,730 $15,266
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 100%

Admission

Penn State Altoona New College of Florida
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,134 2,119
Admitted 6,942 1,568
Acceptance Rate 97.3% 74%
Enrolled % 12.4% 14.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.87
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/27 20/27
SAT Range 1050/1260 1030/1250
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline May 30, 2026

Academics

Penn State Altoona New College of Florida
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (100%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona New College of Florida
Graduation Rate 65% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $14,859
Median Loan Payment $277 $153

Diversity

Penn State Altoona New College of Florida
% Men 0% 2%
% Women 0% 1%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 77% 69%
% Black 7% 3%
% Hispanic 6% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

Penn State Altoona New College of Florida
% In-State 59% 83%
% Out-of-State 35% 14%

Campus

Penn State Altoona New College of Florida
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Altoona is larger than than New College of Florida based on total student enrollment (2,421 students vs. 732 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. New College of Florida Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Altoona or New College of Florida?

  • Penn State Altoona is 194.4% more expensive to attend than New College of Florida for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $5,227.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4% higher at New College of Florida than Penn State Altoona ($27,159.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at New College of Florida than Penn State Altoona ($8,368 vs. $22,506)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at New College of Florida are 0.1% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($13,805 vs. $13,820)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at New College of Florida than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by New College of Florida students is 74.9% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($15,266 vs. $8,730)

Penn State Altoona vs. New College of Florida Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Altoona or New College of Florida? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between New College of Florida or Penn State Altoona .

  • The average SAT score at New College of Florida (1285) is 292 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming New College of Florida students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman New College of Florida students have a 0.47 point higher average high school GPA (3.87) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than New College of Florida (74%)

Penn State Altoona vs. New College of Florida Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or New College of Florida? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between New College of Florida and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at New College of Florida is higher than Penn State Altoona (68% vs. 65%)
  • New College of Florida students graduate with a $11,959 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($14,859 vs. $26,818)
  • New College of Florida graduates are paying $124 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($153 vs. $277)
  • More New College of Florida graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/